MRC PONTIAC – Julien Gagnon, the MRC’s Fire and Public Safety co-ordinator, issued the following details concerning current flood risk in the Pontiac, Thursday, April 20, at 7:00 am. “The level of the Ottawa River at Pembroke currently sits at 112.8 metres, Lac Coulonge at 108.06 metres and the levels of the river at Chat Falls (Bristol) is currently at 75.36 metres. These levels are almost identical to the expected levels that were announced by the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board (ORRPB) on Tuesday. The ORRPB is expecting these levels to stabilize throughout the day today and may even be lowered in the next few days, until later in the weekend….. We are closely monitoring the expected rainfall on Saturday and throughout next week. This rainfall may have an effect on the river levels early next week. We ask that all residents remain vigilant and prepare for the potential of more rising water levels at that time; as well, anyone affected should stay in contact with their local municipality and take pictures of any damage to property in order to aid in a request for financial assistance, if it turns out that financial assistance is needed.
“It must be noted that the current Ottawa River levels are still well under the 2019 flood levels by almost a meter in all areas of the river. Considering that most affected residences in 2019 were either demolished or secured in a way as to protect against future flood levels, our local municipalities are not expecting to see any affected residences at this point. It should also be noted that in 2017, the Ottawa River experienced a preliminary peak of its water level on April 19, which then was reduced by approximately 30 centimetres in the following week before peaking again in early May. Due to the fact that we cannot forecast the upcoming weather trends accurately past 7 days or so, it is almost impossible to foresee what the next few weeks have in store for us.
“For all of these reasons, we ask that you stay tuned to your local media and government social media pages in order to stay up to date on the latest information concerning the flood watch.”
Photo Credit: Carol Warden Perry
